SORCERY IN FRANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10442, 23 April 1912, Page 2

SORCERY IN FRANCE.

An extraordinary story comes from Calais. While a sergeant was on guard before the postern gate of tho old citadel two black veiled women glided slowly into view, and ono of the visitors stretched liorself out on tho damp grass with arms extended in tho form of a cross. Tho other with a small spade began hastily j,o dig a hole in the ground. In it she placed a packet wrapped in white linen, covered it as quickly as possible, and with her companion disappeared as silently as they had come.

Under the idea, that be had witnessed the closing, scenes of an infanticide, the si'igcant informed tho authorities, and the package was disinterred and taken to the police headquarters. At the same timo a doctor was summoned, who at once began to unwrap the parcel. What was the astonishment of the investigators finally to discover, not the remains of a child, but merely a pig's heart. And in what a condition 1 It was pierced through and through in every direction with no fewer than 113 pins, and was also traversed with a dagger.

In fact, the ..'authorities wcro faced with a case of " envontement," one of the favourito forms of sorcery in tho Middle Ages, which borrowed it from antiquity. ft was then practised very generally, together with tlio " black mass," the " reptile sacrament," human sacrifice, and other superstitious relics of barbarism.

The method was adopted, as follows: Some hairs or articles of clothing of tho person to be bewitched wero procured, and an animal was chosen to represent this person, and was named after him. The creature was first placed in contact with the .victim's belongings, and then slain with a magic dagger. Tho heart was taken out and wrapped, if possible, in the person's clothes, and during three days pins and nails were driven though it to the accompaniment of curses and maledictions. It was believed that all the tortures infticird on the dead animal's heart would lie endured by the living individual.

A much more common way. however, was to mould a wax image of the person to he bewitched and to dross i( in the clothes he or she usually wore. Tho waxen doll was then cursed and tortured in the hope that the person would suffer the same.